The WordPress Community Team has recently announced that they will be retiring CrowdSignal, previously known as Polldaddy, in favor of Jotform for post-event attendee surveys. This decision comes as a result of the limitations and accessibility concerns associated with CrowdSignal.
The primary reason for the change is to address the need for a multilingual solution. Isotta Peira, the Community Engagement Specialist, explained that they want to ensure that all attendees worldwide can choose the language in which they complete the survey. By making this shift, they aim to overcome the inclusion barrier that has been a challenge until now.
One of the concerns raised about CrowdSignal is its accessibility. Experts like Alex Stine have previously expressed worries regarding its accessibility, while the WordPress Training Team has reported problems with data capture failures during surveys. Thijs Buijs, Team Representative of the WordPress Sustainability Team, shared his experience with CrowdSignal, stating that a lot of votes were not recorded properly. These issues have made it clear that a more reliable and accessible tool is needed.
After evaluating various alternatives, the WordPress Community Team has identified Jotform as the best tool to meet their needs. Jotform is known for its user-friendliness, the ability to add collaborators easily, the option to share results while maintaining confidentiality, and its built-in accessibility checks. Isotta Pereira believes that this move is a significant step towards more inclusive and effective feedback collection.
Jotform will enable the Community Team to grant organizing team members access as collaborators. This will allow them to customize surveys as needed and receive submissions directly. The implementation plan will begin with the English Attendee survey for local WordCamps and Events, with translations being coordinated between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025. The transition will also include the Organizer post-event Debrief survey and Sponsor surveys if necessary. Flagship WordCamps are encouraged to adopt this tool to ensure efficient data collection and access for both organizers and the community team.
Feedback from the community has been positive so far. Julia Golomb, Lead Organizer of WordCamp US 2024, has expressed her willingness to try the new tool and adapt it for their event. Steve Mosby, WordCamp Europe organizer, is hopeful that Jotform will provide a multilingual survey option that can increase the number of responses while still providing generic values for analysis purposes.
Community members have the opportunity to provide feedback about the transition until September 30, 2024. This feedback will be crucial in shaping the implementation and ensuring that the new tool meets the needs of the WordPress community.
In conclusion, the retirement of CrowdSignal in favor of Jotform for post-event attendee surveys by the WordPress Community Team marks a significant step towards more inclusive and effective feedback collection. The limitations and accessibility concerns associated with CrowdSignal have prompted this change, with Jotform being identified as the best alternative. The transition plan is well-thought-out, and organizers and community members are encouraged to provide feedback throughout the process. With Jotform’s user-friendly features and built-in accessibility checks, the WordPress community can look forward to more efficient and inclusive feedback collection in the future.
